How to save a life
by Selina666
Summary: Larten Crepsley happens to be in the right place at the wrong time. A hurt little girl, and a fatherly instinct Larten never knew he had... rated M for violence, some language, and sexually explicit content no, larten isnt a pedophile
1. Chapter 1: Humans and their misery

Chapter 1: Humans and their misery

Larten walked down the dark street slowly, absentmindedly. He leaned against a light post, staring up at the stars. He found himself lonely, and chuckled darkly to himself. _Darren is making me soft. _He sighed and shook his head. The youngest prince had that effect on people. You just, could not help liking him. He was infectious.

Mr. Crepsley didn't know why he had wandered down this street, he just felt a bizarre pull, as though he was meant to be here. His mind strayed back to Mr. Tall's ominous words before he had left.

"_There will be much pain tonight Larten my friend. A cruelty you have never had the misfortune to witness will be thrust into your path. I cannot tell you what or why, I only warn you that your decision will determine another's fate today."_

Larten sighed. He couldn't imagine what his old friend had meant. He had seen terrible atrocities in his lifetime. He'd seen murder, abusive boyfriends and fathers, he'd seen vampaneze attacks, and he'd seen a young human boy's insides eaten by the wolfman whilst he was still alive. He shuddered to think of something worse than that, or the way his apprentice had howled in an inhuman agony at the death of his little friend. The young vampire prince still had nightmares about it.

Larten was torn from his reverie as the sound of loud voices broke the silence of the night. Crepsley stepped back into the shadows of an alleyway to keep out of view. He wasn't exactly hard to notice, tall and thin, wearing all red, and a long gruesome scar marring the side of his face. He listened silently to the voices, hearing their words easily.

"Where the hell is he, they shoulda been here by now." More mumbles. There must have been two men by the sound of it, and it sounded like they were soon to be joined by more.

"Bout time Rick!" Larten looked in the direction of the voice, seeing the men. The one that spoke was a large burly man, short cropped hair. The one next to him was smaller than the first, but muscular and eerily quiet. Larten was relieved they were not vampaneze. Then he saw Rick. A big man with a hard face. He seemed to be dragging something behind him. Crepsley didn't look closely until he heard the something whimper. A young girl, maybe ten years old. She was being dragged roughly by her hair. Crepsley was surprised she didn't scream, or struggle. It was then he noticed that her hands were tied. His eyes narrowed. What was happening here?

"Mmm Rick, bout time man." The one who spoke led the way down the alley. Crepsley stood against the wall, silent and invisible as a shadow as the three men walked down the alley. They stopped.

"Please…father…" the girl whimpered.

_Father?_ Crepsley frowned.

"She's a talker huh, guess we'll have plug that hole up too huh?" The other men laughed darkly as the girl was roughly thrown to the ground. She cowered as the large burly man grabbed her and pinned her arms above her to the alley wall. He tore her shirt off. The girl shivered, not looking at them. Crepsley was at a loss. What was this? His eyes widened as realization dawned on him. Enraged, he clenched his fists and stalked forward.

"Let. Her. Go." He commanded, stepping out of the shadows. The men turned and narrowed their eyes at the stranger. One pulled a gun out and pointed it at him.

"Beat it mate, we're busy." He said. Larten walked toward them until he pointed the gun at the girl's head. He stopped dead. The girl looked calmer now than before, which surprised Larten, considering a gun was aimed at her. He couldn't let the girl get hurt anymore.

Larten flitted, grabbing the gun wielding man, swiftly breaking his wrist. The two other guys cried out in shock. Larten turned to look at them, fire in his eyes.

"I should kill all of you for what you have done to this child. If you hand her over to me now, I shall let you live." He snarled dangerously. They dropped the girl and Larten flitted forward and caught her before she hit the ground. The men ran as fast as they could into the dark. He glanced down at the girl, who was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Do not fear little one. You are safe." He said softly, averting his eyes from her. He carefully wrapped her in his coat. With that he ran, fast as the wind to the Cirque du freak.

Authors notes:

Ok, I decided to take out some of the gory details of the ally scene. I know it's a bit vague, but some people found the content disturbing, and I plan to post this fanfic elsewhere, with less mature audiences. You should get the idea.

And no, Larten is not a pedophile. I promise.

I do not own any cirque du freak characters in this fanfic. The OC Arra belongs to me.


	2. Chapter 2: My Little Pirate

Chapter 2: My little pirate

Arriving at the Cirque, Larten glanced down at the girl. She was still staring at him in silence. She did not cry, or look away when he met her gaze. The sadness he saw in her eyes pierced his heart.

"Larten…" Crepsley looked up to see Mr. Tall standing, of course not in the least surprised. Larten locked eyes with the tall man briefly before entering his trailer. Mr. Tall followed slowly. He watched silently as Crepsley gently washed the blood from the girl. Now that he was up close, the mottled bruises and scars along the girl's body were easy to see. _So…this is not the first time this has happened to her… some of these scars look to be years old….how long has this been going on…._ He was snapped out of his thoughts when the girl tugged on his shirt, looking at him with the same wide eyed look. She slowly held up 3 fingers. He looked at her puzzled. She reached up and pressed the tip of her finger to his for head, pointed to the scars, then held up three fingers. Now he understood_. Three years….god..she is just a baby…but…how did she know what I was thinking…_He looked at her, but she did not respond to his mental question this time.

"Hibernius…" Larten said slowly. The man didn't answer, but Larten knew he was listening. "Would you be so kind as to ask Truska to make an outfit for the girl?" Again the man did not respond, but his retreating footsteps told Larten he would oblige. Meanwhile, he grabbed an off-white shirt from his closet, carefully putting it over her. Using his fingernails, he cut the sleeves to fit and rolled them up, and cut a little from the length too. He grabbed a red sash he sometimes wore around his head, and tied it around her waist.

"It is not much, but it will do until Truska can make you something of your own." He said. She looked down at the makeshift outfit, then back up at him, then around the room. She pointed to a darker red sash. He grabbed it, looking at her quizzically. She again pointed to his forehead, then to her own. He smiled in realization. She must have heard him thinking about wearing the sash around his head. He tied it around hers, and she looked like a little pirate girl. He smiled a little at the thought. He watched her, and winced internally remembering how much she had been through.

A knock on the door made him jump. He looked up just as Mr. Tall entered the room.

"Larten, may I have a word?" He asked. His voice held no emotion, as was typical for him. Larten nodded and stood. The little girl watched him silently. He put a reassuring hand on her head before following Mr. Tall outside.

"Who is she Hibernius?" Larten said. Mr. Tall took a few minutes before answering.

"I do not know…"He said quietly. Larten looked at him sharply.

"You have to have some sort of tie to her, else you would not have seen her." Mr. Tall shook his head.

"I saw Darren Shan, though I had not met him."

"That is different Hibernius and you know it. Darren was your half brother…Mr. Tiny's son." Larten shuddered. "He had blood ties with you."

Mr. Tall looked thoughtful. He shook his head. "In any case, that is not the matter I wished to discuss at the moment." His eyes bore into the vampires. "This child is two years younger than when you found Darren. What is to be done about her?"

Larten didn't like the way the man said that, but shook it off. "She is just a baby Hibernius, we cannot just abandon her on the road for more men too…" He trailed off, scenes of the alley incident flashing into his eyes. He growled. "Hibernius…I will not send her away. I shall take responsibility for the girl." Mr. Tall raised an eyebrow.

"Can you do that Larten? Think carefully before deciding. She is but a child, you cannot blood her. But to leave her in a weakened state as she is would be dangerous. What if she was hurt while you slept?"

Larten knew he couldn't answer that question. He stared back at his trailer. "I will do everything in my power to protect her Hibernius." He looked back at the tall man, fire in his eyes. "I know it would be foolish to ask you to keep this from Tiny, he hears everything…do you think he would harm her?" Mr. Tall raised an eyebrow again.

"You know Desmond Tiny doesn't dirty his own hands…but I cannot guarantee that he will have no hand in her fate…It is possible he sent the vision of her future to me on purpose. In any case…I will allow the girl to stay with you, but you know the princes will not stand for a second offense from you in the case of blooding a child. Even if they did what they did for Darren, you and I both know you wouldn't be able to allow her to face the trials." With that Hibernius walked away, leaving Larten to ponder his words.

Authors notes:

Again, I only own the little girl. You'll discover her name in the next chapter!

So I was thinking about how Darren wore a pirate outfit in the Cirque. I thought this was a cute idea. I plan on making concept drawings of my OC's, ill post a link when it gets done if i get enough comments. review, tell me what you think! pleeese!


	3. Chapter 3: Ghost of the Past

Chapter 3: Ghost of the past

Larten opened the door to his trailer slowly, and gasped as something hurtled into him. He looked down to see the little girl hugging his knees tightly. He carefully pried her off, lifting her up and carrying her to the couch. He sat down, letting her rest on his lap. Larten looked down into her wide eyes. She still had not spoken a word since the alley. He had heard her speak in the alley…before…

_Oh…I wonder if she was punished for speaking before…_He watched the girl as she nodded slowly. He still didn't know how she knew what he was thinking, but he lived with a freak show, you got used to things you couldn't understand.

_Why do you not speak now?_She looked at him hesitantly. _It is ok, I will not hurt you._He assured her. She shook her head slowly. He nodded. It would take time, something he had plenty of. He studied her thoughtfully. He hadn't noticed before, but she had fair skin, fairer than even his. Her eyes were a very light green, and her hair was a fiery orange color. He smiled and chuckled. _She could easily pass for my daughter. How ironic._It was then that he noticed the dirt and blood in her hair. They were already packing to leave, so no showers. He frowned, then grabbed a hair brush from the small table to his right. Darren had insisted he get it, else the whole of vampire mountain would see my atrocious bed head. Cheeky little brat that boy was. He took the scarf off of her head, and slowly started to brush her hair. The girl didn't protest or struggle, didn't cry out when he hit a knot. He remembered how Arra had never let him play with her hair. She was so determined to keep people out, to be strong. He closed his eyes, pushing the memories away. When he opened them the little girl was staring at him, a look of surprise on her face. She touched his forehead again, then pointed to herself. He stared blankly at her, trying to understand. She pointed to herself.

"A…Arra." She said. Larten's eyes widened.

"You're name…is Arra?" He asked quietly. She nodded slowly watching him. He smiled a little, retying the scarf around the girls head. "Well little Arra, are you hungry?" She nodded hesitantly and he smiled. "Dinner should be starting soon, let us go my dear." He stood she grabbed his hand, following as he walked outside.

The people around the table turned to look as they came. Arra clung to his arm, hiding behind him. He held her hand gently.

"Good evening everyone." He said calmly. "This is Arra." There were a few hellos and greetings. Evra's children bounced up to them, looking at her. The two frowned and looked up at him.

"Oi, she don't have scales or nothing." Larten smiled. Arra was staring at the boy wide eyed. She slowly reached out to touch his scaled arm. He raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and let her. She then looked up at Larten with an awe filled expression. He chuckled.

"What's funny eh?" The boy demanded. His voice was a little harsh, he was sensitive about what people thought of him. Arra jerked away and hid inside Larten's cape trembling. The boy looked surprised. Larten rubbed the girls back gently.

"Everyone, I know it is a lot to ask from you, but Arra is timid and I would appreciate if you would be careful where you raise your voice." Larten cautioned. Evra's son looked up at him.

"I'm sorry Mr. C, I didn't mean to scare her, really I didn't." Larten looked down at Arra and smiled when she nodded.

"She says it is ok, do not worry you did not know." The boy nodded, and grabbed his sisters hand, running to his father. Truska walked over, graceful as ever. Arra peeked out of his cape, and stared at her wide eyed. The woman held out a pile of clothes. I smiled and thanked her. I looked at the clothes and smiled. Truska had a way of knowing what people around her want. The outfit was a red velvet vest, a baggy sleeved white top with ties across the front. A pair of dark burgundy trousers and black pirate boots. Arra stared at them in wonder touching the soft velvet. She pointed at them, then at her, giving him a questioning look.

"Yes my dear, they are for you. Want to get changed?" She nodded eagerly and his heart warmed at the temporary light in her eyes.

Authors note:

I only own little Arra. (for those who didnt catch on, Arra (sp?) was once Lartens lover, she died in the war with the vampaneze on vampire mountain.

I thought this was cute. let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4: What Words are Worth

Chapter 4: What words are worth

Larten walked into the trailer, his eyes falling on Arra. She stood looking at herself in his mirror. She looked so happy. Then, she frowned looking up at him.

"What is wrong?" He asked. She pointed to her head. He chuckled and nodded, grabbing the sash from on top of the dresser. He tied it around her head. She looked back at the mirror and smiled. It amazed Larten how easily they communicated. He looked at his watch and sighed.

"Well little one, tonight's show begins in one hour, I must prepare for it." She looked at him questioningly. He raised his eyebrow and chuckled.

"We are at a circus my dear, a circus performer has a duty to facinate his or her audience." She looked curious and excited. He realized that she had probably never been to a circus. Her nod confirmed his assumption. "Very well, then how would you like to help me out some day?" She nodded eagerly. "Ok, but you will have to wait, we must practice before getting you up on the stage." She nodded again.

Larten came out of the bathroom. He wore a worn old red suit and cape. He frowned. _Need to get a new outfit soon…_

He saw Arra sitting on the couch, and went over to pick her up. Together they went out to meet the rest of the circus performers.

Larten watched Arra from a dark corner of the theater. She sat in the fourth row back. (He didn't want her close to the wolf man should it escape) She watched the show with wide eyes, but still never made a sound. When it was his turn, he walked onto the stage calmly. He glanced over at her, and smiled.

He did magic tricks, elementary stuff really, but it got the crowd excited. He pulled out a handful of rose petals from his pocket, and blowing them toward the audience, they turned into butterflies to close his act. Then, he flitted offstage.

Later that night Larten found that Arra's favorite act had been his. She had her hands cupped when he met her after the show. One of the butterflies he'd blown sat in her hand. He sat with her in silence for the most part. He spoke only every once in a while. Though Arra did not speak aloud, Larten knew one thing for sure. She took more value in his words than anyone else ever had.

Authors notes:

Sorry for the short chapter, I was having a bit of writers block. the next one will make up for it! I promise!

Thank you to those who reviewed this story!


	5. Chapter 5: Destiny Comes Knocking

Chapter 5: Destiny comes knocking

When Larten returned to his trailer, he looked around thoughtfully. The girl needed sleep. She was exhausted. But where she could sleep he didn't know. He wasn't about to leave her alone on the couch, but he needed to get to his coffin. The merciless sun was coming up soon.

_I suppose she could sleep with me if she was ok with it…_She looked up at him and nodded. He picked her up and carried her over to his coffin. Glancing at her, he was surprised to find she didn't seem to find it odd at all. He lifted the lid, climbing in with Arra. She lay down next to him, resting her head on his chest. He smiled at her, then shut the lid slowly. Stroking her hair, he waited until she fell asleep. After her breathing evened out, he closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.

Larten woke with a start. He looked down to see Arra curled up and trembling. Upon closer inspection, he found that she was crying. He wondered what time it was, then shook the question off.

_Arra…what is wrong? Did you have a nightmare?_She nodded. He gently pulled her closer to him, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Shh, it is ok little one. You are safe now. They will not hurt you ever again." He held her gently, not knowing what to do as she trembled. He could fight the people that physically hurt her, he could watch over her, but he couldn't fight the nightmares. He couldn't chase away the demons that haunted her dreams. He wished he could. He wished he could fight off the things that hurt her. But he couldn't. He hated that he couldn't. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was being helpless.

Eventually Arra's trembling stopped, and she fell back to sleep. Larten lay awake, staring at the lid of his coffin. His thoughts were interrupted when a sharp knock on his coffin startled him. Arra shot awake, jerking up as though to sit, and bumped her head on the top. The look of shock on her face pushed Larten over the edge. He burst into laughter. The lid was lifted and Evra Von stood there, staring at them in confusion. Arra started giggling too. Larten sat up, still chuckling. He looked at Evra, who was fidgeting nervously. The way he glanced behind him as though he were being followed was unnerving to say the least.

"What is it Evra?" He asked. Evra looked uncomfortable, and a feeling of dread settled on Larten. Evra only looked this upset when…

Evra took a shaking breath. "Desmond Tiny is here….he wants to see you…and Arra."

Authors notes:

ok, the next one will be longer, i promise. really! I've been so busy that i haven't had much time to think..

review, let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6: Troubles Eye

Larten stood at the door to Mr. Tall's trailer. Already he could feel the evil presence of the man called Tiny. Looking down at Arra, she was looking at the door with a look of confusion. Carefully he grabbed her hand, and opened the door.

"Ah, there you are Larten! My but it's been such a long time." Larten grimaced at Desmond Tiny's greeting, and nodded in acknowledgment. Tiny turned his attention down to Arra next. "And this must be little Arra. She looks very like you Larten." Tiny grinned, his face twisting into a vile smirk. "She smells delicious."

Larten growled lowly, and Tiny chuckled. "Don't be so predictable Larten, I won't hurt her." He shook his head, but Larten was not convinced.

"Then what is it that you want with us?" He asked cautiously. Tiny smiled widely.

"I merely came to warn you. Trouble is brewing, and it's fixed its eye on that girl. If she stays you put all of your friends here at the cirque in danger." The small man stood with a grunt. "I just thought you ought to know is all." With that said, he left the room. Larten watched him go then looked to Mr. Tall.

"I am sorry Larten, I did not for-see this…" The tall man took a deep breath.

"I understand Hibernius…" Larten sighed tiredly and looked down at Arra. She stared back at him soundlessly. "So, what shall we do?" The tall man stayed quiet, then sighed.

"I do not wish to cast you out Larten, but to put the entire cirque in danger for one human child is not something I can do…" He looked down at Arra. "One way or another she is going to have to leave." Larten nodded and took Arra's hand gently, leading her out of the room and into the awaiting darkness.

Arra walked in silence, occasionally looking up at Larten. It seemed as though they had been walking for ages, but the sun hadn't come up so it couldn't have been that long. Larten slowed to a stop and looked down at her.

"We have to go away for a while Arra, but where we are going is far away." Sighing he kneeled in the grass. "Hop on my back." She nodded slowly and got on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face against him. With that Larten took off, invisible to world as he watched it fly by…

4 Years later….

_Arra, now 14 years old can speak several languages fluently, but does not write. (Larten is illiterate) Still, her main method of communication is telepathy, and rarely does she speak when in public places. Larten has grown accustomed to this form of communication, and over the past few years they have grown inseparable._

Arra looked up at Larten and frowned. She looked back at the young man standing before them quietly, brooding.

"Hello Arra, it's nice to finally meet you." The man smiled at her kindly, but the warmth in his expression seemed as though it had been smothered by a dark coldness, an ancient grief. Arra shivered and the darkness left him, as though it had never been there.

"Arra, this is an old friend of mine, Darren. He is a vampire Prince." Larten smiled crookedly as Arras' eyes widened in awe. She had heard many stories about the vampire princes. She remembered Arrow, the incredibly strong (and loud) prince who loved the thrill of battle. Then there was Vancha, the wild man. Paris, the calm and understanding elder. And Mika. Arra was not fond of Mika, she called him the snake man much to Lartens' amusement. But the one prince she had heard the most tales of was Darren Shan, the youngest prince in all of vampire history.

Larten looked at Darren and smiled tiredly. "Would the princes allow us entrance into the mountain? I know she is not a vampire but…" Darren nodded, his face going serious again.

"Of course Mr. Crepsley, if it causes trouble I'll take care of it." He smiled at Arra again, his eyes meeting hers solemnly before he turned and led the way, deep into the darkness of vampire mountain.


	7. Chapter 7: Home Coming

Larten spent a good amount of the journey telling Arra the rules and how things worked in vampire mountain. Darren looked at him and grinned.

"Calm down Mr. Crepsley, she's not a vampire, why should she behave like one?" Larten turned his gaze to Darren, a dark shadow in his eyes.

"I think I am not the only one to remember the last time someone acted against the laws of vampire mountain Darren…I will not risk that twice." He trailed off and they walked in silence. Arra tugged on Lartens sleeve.

"_You never told me that story."_She said silently, frowning at him. He winced and nodded.

"_That is because it is less than pleasant and more than I ever wanted to tell you of this dark place."_He shook his head to indicate the end of the conversation and noticed Darren looking at them oddly.

"Hm, telepathy it looks like. This is a new skill for you Larten." He raised an eyebrow.

"I never would have found the need for it before Arra came along. She introduced me to it." He smiled remembering how indignant she had looked about not having the red scarf on her head when she got her new costume. Darren nodded slowly.

"I see." After a few long moments, Darren came to a stop at the entrance to the inner mountain. He spoke softly to the guards, and the group was allowed in. They came to a stop as the gates closed behind them, and Arra looked around in Awe.

"Well if it isn't Larten in the flesh!" Arra saw a large burly man coming toward them, and inched behind Larten timidly. The man smiled widely slapping Mr. Crepsly on the back affectionately. The smaller man winced and smiled at the newcomer.

"Vanez, it has been too long." He said.

"Stiff and formal as ever I see. Are you ever gonna get that stick out of yer a-" He cut off at a fierce glare from Crepsley.

"This is my Companion Vanez, watch your language please I would rather her not end up a ruffian like yourself." He frowned sternly but his eyes smiled. Vanez kneeled down so he was eye to eye with the little human.

"Well hello there little miss, I'm Vanez. What might yer name be?" He asked. Arra glanced up at Larten, who nodded.

"Arra." She said softly. Vanez blinked and looked up at Larten seriously. Upon seeing the look on his old friends face he frowned.

"Arra is it? Well it is a pleasure to be in the company of such a fine lady as yerself." He bowed playfully and Arra chuckled quietly, warming up to the strange man quickly.

"Vanez, could you perhaps show us to a room? I am afraid that for the time being, we must remain within Vampire Mountain. Darren has assured me this should not be a problem." Vanez nodded and shared a meaningful look with Larten before leading them away.

"_There is something you are not telling me."_Larten looked down at Arra, raising an eyebrow.

"_It is not important my dear."_She looked at him skeptically and he sighed. _"I will tell you later tonight, is that acceptable?"_She nodded curtly and he smiled. This time his eyes did not.

After they had gotten settled into a room, which Larten grumbled was far too big and fancy, he and Vanez left together to talk.

"What is it Vanez, I have been traveling for quite some time, I am tired and hungry." He tried to look stern, but the weariness in his eyes betrayed him.

"Don't change the subject Larten. Arra?" Venez looked at him, no playfulness in his voice now.

"Yes what about her." Larten demanded hotly. Vanez studied him, and shook his head.

"Larten…we all know how you felt about Arra, how it killed you to see her-"

"Do. Not. Say. It." Larten growled. Vanez sighed and nodded.

"My point is, it's been nearly 40 years Larten… and now this human child shares her name. Arra isn't coming back Larten, you have got to let her go."

"This child has nothing to do with Arra, I saved her from a life of pain and abuse. I keep her only because she owes her life to me, nothing more…" It hurt Larten to say it, for he knew it wasn't true. Arra was very special to him…but Vanez would not understand. His heart skipped a beat as he heard the thud of a door being slammed.

"Was that your door?" Vanez queried. Larten ignored the question, rushing back to his room.

"We will speak later Vanez. Goodnight."

Larten tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Arra, open the door now!" He said loudly. His voice echoed in the stone cavern. No one answered.

"_Arra, let me in."_

"_Go away!"_Larten jumped, startled by the ferocity those two words held.

"_Please Arra, let me explain."_

"_You don't have to explain anything to me, I'm just a burden anyway right?"_ Larten heard the pain in her voice, and his heart ached knowing he had caused it.

"_Arra you were never a burden…please, let me explain myself."_There was no answer for what seemed like ages. Then the lock clicked. He walked in and saw Arra sitting on the floor, her back against the wall. Her face was buried in her arms. He walked over and kneeled in front of her.

"Arra…please believe me when I tell you that I did not mean those things I told Vanez..."

"Then why did you say them?" She mumbled.

"Because Vampires are proud and strict creatures…If Vanez knew I intended you to remain by my side for years to come…The Princes would not allow such a partnership with a human for so long…it could endanger the safety of vampires for a human to know as much as you already do…and will if you remain here with me…" He watched her, waiting for her reaction.

"So what, would they kick me out? Kill me?"

"No of course not Arra, I would not have brought you here if they were going to just kick us back out." He sighed.

"So what then?" She asked.

Larten hesitated, but nodded slowly. "They would demand that you become one of us…a vampire."


	8. Chapter 8: Explanations

Chapter 8: Explanations

First of all I'd like to thank all of my faithful followers and viewers for their input and support. This story has more than 1,000 hits! Thank you everyone! Don't worry, there is much more time, I see no end to this tale in the near future. Here's the next chapter, enjoy!

3 Night

Arra looked up at him. "What difference would that make? I could still tell people about them. Not that I would of course…"

"As a vampire, telling people about us would be a threat to your life as well as the rest of the Vampires. No creature wishes death upon themselves…" He trailed off, remembering the hollow, ghost like shell that she had been when he had first met her. He shivered, pushing it to the back of his mind. "Also, as a vampire, if you were to break that rule, you would be punishable by our laws…"

Arra nodded. "That makes sense…" She looked at him confused. "Wouldn't it be logical then to just turn me into a vampire?" Larten shook his head sharply.  
"We have laws against turning children into vampires…the last time I broke that rule I almost lost a very dear friend…"

"Prince Darren?" Arra asked. Larten nodded.

"On top of that, vampire women are scarce, and are not treated equally as they should be." He frowned darkly. They sat in silence for some time. Arra looked at him hesitantly.

"Why does everyone react the same when they hear my name?" Lartens insides froze as he glanced up at her. "I remember seeing something in your mind the first time I told you, but it was gone too fast for me to understand."

Larten sighed and looked down. "I will tell you…but it is not a happy story, nor an easy one for me to tell." Arra nodded solemnly and Larten cleared his throat.

"I told you that vampire women are scarce. There is but one vampire woman whose name is known and revered. Her name…was Arra Sails. Arras human life was full of pain and suffering. She believed that becoming a vampire would give her strength over that darkness, strength to defeat it. I remember the first time I met Arra. She was a fierce one. She spoke to no one for a long time after she came here. She trained constantly, and still the male vampires of the mountain did not show her respect. I often sat in the shadows and watched her train." A distant smile softened his face. "Time after time I watched her spar with other warriors. She grew angry when they did not take her seriously. I challenged her one day, and it was a hard fight. I did not go easy on her. Our fight must have lasted hours. Neither of us was willing to give in. In the end, I won. I was the first person she spoke to in the mountain." He paused and looked up at Arra. She was watching him distantly, watching the scene in his memories, narrated by his voice.

"Arra eventually earned the respect of the men, and even their friendship. She was sarcastic and sharp, but eternally loyal. In time we grew closer and closer. We were inseparable, a team."

"You loved her…didn't you?" Arra said softly. Larten nodded, his face now drawn and tired.

"I did. But I was a General at the time, and I was constantly on the move. We were apart for years at a time. It was hard for the both of us. But the thing that troubled Arra the most was that she could never have a child. This is the main reason why there are so few female vampires…it is too much for them to give up, too much to ask of a young woman. Still...she remained strong, and did not let her emotions interfere with her life here." He stopped and took a deep breath.

"What happened to her?" Arra asked softly. Larten stared into space.

"She died…shortly before Darren became a prince. She was killed defending the mountain during an invasion…" He trailed off and they sat in silence. He glanced at Arra and saw that she had tears in her eyes.

"Oh Arra, do not cry…" He said softly. She sniffled.

"I cant help it…its so sad." She burst into tears and Larten wrapped his arms around her gently, holding her close. Crying silently together he murmured;

"I know my dear."


	9. Chapter 9: Game, Set, and Condemned

Chapter 9: Game, Set, and Condemned

Larten woke the next day to find that Arra was not in their room. He looked around and swiftly walked into the great hall. He heard Vanez's booming laughter, and saw Arra watching as he and a younger vampire sparred. He didn't recognize the younger man, but it was obvious he was losing. Arra was watching, her face a mask of seriousness.

"Come on boy, you cannot defeat an old man like myself?" Vanez chuckled. "Perhaps if you knew where I was going to go before I moved you could. Otherwise, you are going to have to get a lot stronger." Arra's eyes widened and she looked over at Larten as he approached. She grinned.

"_Watch this."_She walked over to the younger warrior, and motioned for him to bend down. She whispered in his ear and he looked at her surprised. Nodding, he turned to Vanez.

"Once more Vanez." The young man said. Vanez chuckled and nodded. The young man stood perfectly still, watching Vanez closely. The older warrior lunged so fast Larten lost track of him. Even more surprising was the fact the young man was now on the other side of Vanez. Vanez growled and lurched again, the young man again dodged. On the third lunge, the younger warrior dodged and knocked Vanez's legs out from underneath him, and pinned him swiftly. Vanez pounded the floor.

"Match" He said gruffly. His opponent got up, and looked at Arra wide eyed. She smiled triumphantly.

"What just happened?" Larten asked.

"I could hear Vanez working his plan out in his head; I just projected the plan into Gavin's mind." Arra shrugged. Vanez looked surprised.

"She's telepathic?" He said incredulously. Larten nodded. Vanez laughed. "How extraordinary! She could be a great ally to us in times of trouble." He raised an eyebrow as Larten glowered at him.

"Absolutely not." He growled. Arra opened her mouth to say something and Larten cut her off with a sharp look. "No." Neither Vanez nor Arra said anything more. Larten spun around and stalked off back toward his room. He paced, grumbling to himself, not hearing Arra walk in.

"What in the world was that all about?" He turned to look at her.

"What?" He asked.

"Why won't you consider letting me help? I could be a big help, Vanez said so."

"No Arra, this cannot be negotiated." Larten said firmly, still pacing.

"But-"

"I said no!" Larten snarled. Arra looked at him wide eyed.

"But why?" She asked.

"Because I will not lose another person I love to this accursed life!..Not again…" Larten said softly. Arra looked at him surprised. He jumped as he felt her hug him from behind.

"Arra?" He asked looking at her over his shoulder. She buried her face in his coat, squeezing tighter. "What is it?" He asked softly.

"Why couldn't you have been my dad." She mumbled. He looked at her alarmed, and then smiled softly. He hugged her gently, stroking her hair.

"Come on, let us go get some breakfast." He said. She nodded, and they walked off together, holding hands.

"Morning Mr. Crepsley." Larten looked up and saw Prince Darren. He nodded.

"Morning Darren." He went back to his food. Arra looked up at the young prince.

"Good morning Arra, did you sleep well? The first night in the mountains can be a bit uncomfortable." Darren smiled warmly at her. She nodded shyly. "Would you like to meet the other princes?" Darren inquired. Larten glanced at him sharply.

"I don't think that's a good idea Darren." He said. Darren raised an eyebrow.

"Because….?"

"Because I said so damn it." Larten barked. Arra and Darren looked at him in surprise at his sudden outburst. Larten sighed. "If the Princes learn of Arra's ability, they will want to use it, and I will not be able to defy them…"

"I heard tell of her work with the new warrior against Vanez, it was quite impressive. So why then are you averse to her using said ability?" Darren looked at him flatly. Larten chuckled uncomfortably.

"Since when do you talk like an adult…" When Darren remained silent, he continued; "Fine…if they discover the ability, Arra will be either in constant danger from our enemies, or condemned to vampirism. Neither option is favorable in my opinion."

"Oh come on Larten, what's so bad about being a vampire? You've done pretty well for yourself." Darren frowned.

"Darren….she is just a girl..Imagine how you felt as a half vampire. Do you really want her put through the same thing?" Darren looked at Arra distantly and sighed, shaking his head.

"Alright, I see your point. I won't tell the princes, but do not expect them to remain in the dark for long. They will find out." Darren stood and walked away, ruffling Arra's hair as he left.

Authors Notes-

Ok, new chapter, woot! also, I was messing around in Gaia Dream Avatar generator, which can be found here .org/dream/ and I decided to make Arra! you can see her here on my Deviantart page .com/#/d2zp6g5 this is Arra in the outfit Truska made her, as well as Lartens headband that he gave to her. She is about 13 years old in this picture. Hope you like the chapter and the avatar!

Night


	10. Chapter 10: Old Sins

Chapter 10: old sins

Arra walked through the vast caverns and halls of the mountain, wondering at its size. Staring into space, she hit something hard, knocking the breath out of her as she fell.

"O-oh I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention!" A fumbling hand lifted her swiftly and she looked into familiar brown eyes of a nervous boy, looking at her worriedly.

"You're the boy from the match the other day." She stated, blinking dizzily. He smiled a small nervous smile and nodded.

"Aye. Are you ok? You went down pretty hard there." She nodded and looked around.

"What are you doing all alone in here?" She asked curiously. He looked around, a relaxed look on his face.

"I come here often on my own. It's funny. Sometimes walking to nowhere leads you right where you ought to be." She smiled as he blushed lightly. "S-so where's your friend, the tall angry one?" He asked, quickly changing the subject. Arra shrugged a little. "Sleeping I assume. He's had a lot on his mind lately." He nodded knowingly.

"Aye, I would think so. I'm surprised he lets you out on your own though, dangerous place for a young girl, and human no less." She nodded absentmindedly.

"So I've heard." Glancing back at him, she noticed he could not be any older than 18 in appearance. "So, what's your story then? Why are you here?" He raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"I was an apprentice up till a few years ago. My mentor died, and now I'm just kind of here." He shrugged.

"Your mentor died?..but vampires don't die easily, what happened?" He studied her uncertainly before answering.

"He was sentenced to death by the princes." Arra looked at him astonished, eyes wide.

"I..I'm so sorry. What was his name?" He looked away, smiling slightly.

"Kurda…Kurda Smahlt"

Sorry it's been so long, school is keeping me so busy, and trying to find a job. so much stress. anyway, heres the begining of the second arc of the story. Bet you didnt think Kurda would come up again :p. let me know if you like the new direction yet. more to come later today I hope. Thanks for your patience!

3

Night


	11. Chapter 11: Friend or Foe

Friend or Foe

Arra wandered along the dark menacing hallways, listening to her new friend talk about life in the mountain. She couldn't believe that Larten hadn't come looking for her. She frowned a little at that thought. _What if he's mad at me?... _That thought left her even more unsettled.

"Are you ok Arra?" The soft voice startled her out of her thoughts and she looked up a bit surprised.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I was lost in thought." She said and smiled a little as he laughed. It was a pleasant sound, not like the harsh barking laugh Vanez had. She studied his face silently for a moment. Her first impression of him was that he had been rather plain. But now, she noticed that his eyes were chocolate brown, rimmed in gold. His skin, which at first glance seemed unhealthily pale, now almost glowed against the darkness of the vast hallway they stood in. It contrasted nicely with his dark brown wavy hair, which hung just long enough that it could be pulled back in a ponytail. A grin sudeenly appeared on his lips.

"Is there something on my face? You seem to be staring at it quite intensely." He laughed as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry, I was just noticing for the first time how…well…pretty you are." She said matter-of-factly. He smiled and opened his mouth to reply, but stopped before he could and looked down the hall. Footsteps approached them. Larten Crepsley came into view.

"Arra there you are. I was beginning to think you'd been eaten by the mountain." He stopped a couple of paces away, his eyes falling on her companion for the first time. "Ah, Gavin wasn't it?" He studied the young man, eyes narrowed slightly. "I've heard a great deal about you." His meaningful glance did not go unnoticed by Arra and she looked at him curiously. Gavin smiled tightly and bowed.

"Larten, a pleasure to meet you formally. I am Gavin Thomas. I have heard many tales about you as well." He straightened up and looked back down at Arra, giving her a reassuring smile in reply to her puzzled look. "Arra, it was a great pleasure to meet you, I hope that I may see you again soon." He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it, glanced sideways at Larten, and turned and disappeared into the shadows. Arra stared after him into the empty darkness for a moment before turning back to Larten. The man's eyes were dark and he suddenly looked much older than normal.

"Larten?...are you well?" She asked hesitantly. He nodded sharply and tried to smile.

"Of course Arra, this place just makes me uneasy. Lets go back shall we?" She nodded and walked after him silently. She started slightly as she felt his hand on her shoulder, and looked up at him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, looking concerned. He shook his head and closed his eyes.

"Arra, listen to me carefully. I will not tell you who you can and cannot hang out with, all I ask is that you be careful. If you are in any sort of trouble, you shout as loud as you can, and I will be there."

Arra looked at him confused. "What's this about? What are you hiding?"

He chuckled softly, looking so tired. "It isn't that I am hiding anything from you Arra, I'm hiding from the past." And with that they too disappeared into the shadows.

Sorry Im so behind. College started and I have been so busy my head is spinning. More to come though.


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